It’s Common Sense – Get Ben Arfa Back Into First Team Squad

Written by Dr. Ed Harrison

5:43pm Monday, August 25th, 2014

Commented 306 times

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Ben Arfa played for the Newcastle Reserve side this afternoon, and he was in sparkling form and will have given some food for thought to watching manager Alan Pardew and also Managing Director Lee Charnley as the Frenchman scored a great individual goal and had two assists.

Ben Arfa in action this afternoon at Whitley Park Ben Arfa showed his undoubted class this afternoon, and linked up well with both Adam Armstrong and Sammy Ameobi as the Reserve side beat Reading 5-2, after going behind 2-0.

It was 2-0 until three minutes before the break when 17 year-old Adam Armstrong scored a good goal from the inside right position and then just before the break Ben Arfa put over a fine corner and Sammy Ameobi headed the ball into the back of the net to make it all square at the break.

In the second half it was Adam Armstrong again who burst through, and had the ball in the back of the net to put Newcastle ahead for the first time.

Newcastle were coming forward all the time and then the mercurial one went down the right wing and beat one, two – make that three defenders before hitting the ball past the goalkeeper to make it 4-2.

Just what we needed somebody to do on Saturday at Villa Park.

Ben Arfa ready to take a corner

And then as if to make a point, Ben Arfa set up another goal, when he put the impressive Armstrong through, and the Chapel House youngster scored his hat-trick.

Ben Arfa can play when he’s of the right mind, and we just hope that both Ben Arfa and Alan Pardew will bury the hatchet and/or kiss and make up – whichever is the best way for them to end their feud.

Ben Arfa should be allowed to train again with the first team.

But Hatem Ben Arfa will need to work hard in training, and follow the manager’s instructions on the field, which he hasn’t always done in the past.

That doesn’t seem a very hard thing to do – and after all it’s for the good of Newcastle United – and there’s still time to make it work – and all it really takes is some common sense and some discipline.

Note: Kieron Hubbuck will be participating in the Great North Run this year for the MNDA, the Motor Neurone Disease Association or ALS – which is an incurable disease. Kieron’s Aunt was diagnosed with MNDA some months back, and that’s one reason Kieran is attempting to raise funds.

Repost; Optimistic, If he is here when the window closes than it could make it difficult. I imagine the club could stick to their guns. They were willing to leave Alan Smith sidelined and not in the squad at all while paying ridiculous wages, so why not again? (*That is a financial comparison, not ability btw)

I think it makes it very difficult for Pardew to bring him back in the fold because he forced him to train with the reserves. I guess he will see it as undermining his own decision if he brought him back in. If he had just been on the sidelines, and not played much for the first team rather than this public spectacle it would be far easier to get past this.

On the other hand, todays game could have been a pre organised olive branch. The club let Hatem play, he makes sure he puts in a shift and plays well, Pardew says that his attitude has improved and nobody loses too much face.

One final thing worth considering is that if it is indeed the contract issue, and the club want him sold. Is the decision on him not playing and being with the kids Pardew’s decision or has it come from higher up, with Pardew being told to put a spin on it?

Crystal palace would be ideal game for hba . My line up would be Jan taylor coll haidara sissoko tiote colbeck benarfa dejong cabella Riviere or goofy 3 grafters in middle to provide platform to push up pitch and attack imo

BPC The difference with Ben Arfa and Sissoko/Gouffran is that those lads even on a bad day work there skins off for the team up and down the field,not trying to beat four players on their own and losing the ball and not bothering trying to win it again. We all want the Ben Arfa that scored against Bolton Everton etc to play every game but he only shows up five times a season. Love the skills but too often doesn’t look bothered,possibly being played in a wrong position by the foolish one but he just gives the ball away too much

I’m one of HBA’s biggest criticisers but I think in a team of Colback and Tiote/sissoko in midfield, a front pairing of Hba (right) De Jong (centre) Cabella (left) at home, against the right team would be very effective! In games where we’ll come up against teams that will sit like West Ham, Palace etc that line up would be perfect! Problem with Pardew is he sticks with teams and formations and prepares his teams to match the oppositions strengths rather than destroy their weaknesses! We definitely do not have so strong a team that a fit Ben Arfa even off the bench wouldn’t improve our matchday squad!

Kets, I’m not arguing that point (although I would contest it), why do you think there have been so few suitors for him? I’m not a big fan, but even I am surprised by the lack of interest in the player!

@kets – ben Arfa isn’t even the top 50 in the league mate! In terms of skill maybe but in terms of proficiency in his position, hes not even in the top 5 at newcastle! Id rate Coloccini, Krul, Tiote, Sissoko and De Jong as more accomplished and effective in their positions than HBA and if colback and janmaat keep the level theyve started at they will both prove twice as valuable as HBA though itl take more than 2 games to judge them

If it’s very infrequently, we could perhaps assume (hope) that Ben Arfa may be given another chance – or Pardew could of course have just been watching Satka, Arma and perhaps Bigi as they seem to be the u21 players that are on the fringes of the first team squad.

However, if Pardew frequents these fixtures it probably means very little. What a turn around it would be though if Ben Arfa is to fight his way back into the team and perform – it would be some story and would gain Hatem even more admiration from our support and would only add to his legacy.

BPC – I agree that Aarons shows the quality of getting to the byline,putting in crosses and going straight at defences but Ben Arfa although has more quality than his younger teammate he doesn’t use it

If Ben Arfa had been a top performer in the team on a constant basis then he’d be in the team. One thing is he doesn’t defend well but that wouldn’t be such an issue if he was hurting teams often enough at the other end.

I say fair F***ing play to the lad it’s clear Ashley was trying his crap with him and trying to force him out like how he did with Milner. But Benny just say back and said I won’t leave i’ll run my contract down and if you’s don’t offer me a new one i’ll walk. Let’s be honest if he is going on a free there will be tons of clubs lining up for him premier league ones too.

Optimistic, Is Ashley still around Newcastle? There is of course a possibility there was a scout or some other club officials there and they wanted to see him match fit before concluding a deal?

I think a happy ending now is one where all involved get out without losing too much face. It has been an unnecessary circus that has surrounded most of our pre season. I agree, to anyone looking in it doesn’t make for good copy.

HBA has maintained a pretty dignified silence, although his agent could have kept his gob shut and the club should have given us some reliable information rather than murky comments like ‘lacks professionalism’. I seem to remember Carroll breaking Taylor’s jaw, then just weeks later gets a new deal.

It needs to be resolved one way or the other, at this point I think everyone wins if HBA gets a decent move abroad, so the club and his agent should be working to help him do that, not squabbling.

It is probably not helping new players settle either, so is damaging in numerous ways.

No! No! No! Stop stoking these fires. The man is a waste of space, he’s a disruptive and divisive influence and the manager has the owner’s backing to leave him out. Idiots at Villa near me on Saturday were chanting his name when he wasn’t even on the bench! How does that help the ones who ARE playing?! He has become a totem pole around which the Pardew haters do their crazy dancing. And it has to stop for the good of the club. His 5 minutes of magic per season are just not worth it.

Optimistic, On players not giving him the ball, that for me adds credence to the rumours that the other players don’t like him in the team, and don’t want him around. If that is the case then it is far easier to move out 1 player then a team.

Optimistic, I’d also argue that there was more to Cabaye not playing then him going on strike.

Pardew said that Tiote could be back by the opening game and was at a similar stage to SDJ. Then all of a sudden rumours of Tiote leaving increase and we are told he won’t be fit until possibly the Palace match, maybe after.

To me there is a good chance that Tiote isn’t playing because they don’t want him aggravating the injury in case a bid comes in, which I personally think was why Cabaye didn’t play, not that he refused.

Mourinho is the perfect example with Courtious he basically came out and said Cech time is up it’s now time for Courtious.

Alan Pardew is letting whatever happend cloud his judgment in selecting the team. There is no f****ng way Obertan should be in before Ben Arfa. A change in manager is what is needed 100% … Any money on it that if a new manager came in Obertan would be out and Benny would be in.

I think that might be what Benny is going for. Didn’t his agent come out and say something like who knows Pardew could be gone before Ben Arfa.

health update

I was diagnosed with stage 4 prostate cancer in February 2017 and completed four months of chemotherapy in late July and will continue to have hormone treatment.

After having various cat scans and a full bone scan recently, I met with the medical oncologist yesterday for a review of my condition.

The cancer in the bones has stabilized and has not spread further, and my PSA count has decreased significantly to being less than 0.1.

I am still recovering from some of the side effects of the chemo treatment - mainly severe fatigue and exhaustion.

Stage 4 cancer is not curable so I will continue to have cat scans and bone scans every four months to ensure the disease is not spreading.

Hopefully, the hormone treatment will keep working for a while yet and then we will switch to some other treatments that have been developed over the last few years.

It is as it is - I accept it - and will do the very best I can under the circumstances.

Ed Harrison

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